Charles has been proudly serving as your Vallejo City Councilmember for nearly four years!
Born in Travis Air Force Base to Filipino immigrants, Charles Palmares was raised by his single, working-class single father in Vallejo (often moving from apartment to apartment, searching for affordable rent). Charles enlisted in the in the US Coast Guard, in which he protected our San Francisco Bay Area ports and waterfronts. He later joined the US Army in the Civil Affairs branch, specializing in rebuilding governments, supporting dislocated civilians, and promoting good governance and rule of law. Charles also has 15 years of military and civilian professional experience in operations management, data analysis, quality control, and manufacturing. Charles graduated with a BA in Political Science from UC Davis (focusing on economic development and countering corruption), and he is currently earning a Master of Public Affairs at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy.
Prompted by his commitment to public service and his devotion to Vallejo, Charles had previously served in the Participatory Budgeting Delegate Working Group and the Planning Commission. In 2022, in the wake of public safety and housing issues accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Charles responded to the call to action and ran for Vallejo City Council in the newly created District 4. Charles ran a grassroots campaign that was financially independent of PACs, special interests, and other politicians, and he won that election and went on to become the first millennial to be elected to Vallejo City Council.
Vallejo needs a Councilmember who understands how to rebuild a government from the ground up and knows what it takes to make a city thrive – Charles is the ONLY candidate with the experience and commitment to carry Vallejo forward.
Current Leadership Roles
- Councilmember, City of Vallejo
- Member, Public Safety Council Subcommittee
- Trustee, Vallejo & Floodwastewater District
- Director, Marin Clean Energy
- Board Member, Green Empowerment Zone
- Board Member, Community Action Partnership (CAP) Solano Joint Powers Authority (JPA)
- Liaison, McCune Collection Commission
- President, UC Berkeley Goldman School fo Public Policy (GSPP) International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Student Chapter
“I only serve the people of Vallejo.”
Taking a bold stance against undue political influence, Charles is not accepting any contributions or endorsements from any corporate PACs, corporate special interests, or any current or former elected officials.
Endorsements
